Stubborn - 48:1-22

Topics: Anger, Call, Children, Creation, Delay, Depend, Direction, Evil, Glory, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Hypocrisy, Idolatry, Joy, Listening, Name, New Covenant, Peace, Praise, Prophecy, Purpose, Rebellion, Redemption, Righteousness, Running, Sovereignty, Stubbornness, Success, Swearing, Teaching, Testing, Truth, Understanding Open It 1. What are the various possible motivations for us to do the right thing? * 2. Who is the best teacher you have known? Explore It * 3. What inconsistencies did God see in the people of ? (48:1-2) 4. Why did God give plenty of notice but then act suddenly with respect to Judah? (48:3-5) 5. What did God ask Judah to admit? (48:6) 6. How did God characterize what He planned to do “from now on”? (48:6) 7. What was God preventing by doing something completely new? (48:7) 8. What negative characteristics did God see in Judah? (48:8) * 9. What was God’s reason for delaying His wrath against Judah? (48:9) 10. For whose sake did God test Judah with afflictions? (48:10-11) 11. What did God announce about His own nature in this prophecy of Isaiah? (48:12-13) 12. What did Isaiah prophesy that God’s “chosen ally” would accomplish? (48:14-15) 13. What did God announce, and invite people to hear, from a posture of nearness? (48:16) * 14. What did God pledge to do for His people? (48:17) 15. If Israel had heeded God’s Word from the beginning, what blessings would have been theirs? (48:18-19) 16. What joyful announcement did Isaiah predict for the people who would be taken captive by ? (48:20-21) 17. What truth did God pronounce concerning the wicked? (48:22) Get It 18. Why did the people of Judah and take it for granted that they had the Lord’s favor? * 19. When we are completely undeserving of God’s mercy, why might He act in our behalf anyway? 20. When we face problems and hardships, what are the wisest conclusions we can make about God’s purposes? 21. What did God plan to do when He was finished with Babylon and the time came to judge that nation? 22. What does God mean when He says He is “the first and the last”? * 23. Why do you think God is interested in providing guidance and direction for our lives? 24. What great blessings accompany those who obey God’s commands? 25. Of what blessings do evil people deprive themselves? Apply It * 26. In what area of need will you claim God’s promise to direct you this coming week? 27. How can you respond the next time you hear about how individual believers or the church has failed God?